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Canada Post’s door-to-door delivery must be saved

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It remains unclear why Canada Post decided to eliminate instead of innovate.

According to Canada Post’s Code of Conduct, serving Canadians with both passion and pride is at the forefront of the corporation’s values — though as of late, this service may not extend to your front door. Last year the Crown corporation declared that they would begin phasing out door-to-door mail delivery. Since then, workers of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) have been fighting to save our postal services, and it’s high time more of us chimed in to lend our support.

Those who oppose the corporation’s decision emphasize its lack of public consultation. According to the CUPW, federal politicians and upper management should not decide the company’s fate, but rather the people should determine what services are needed. After all, Canada Post was meant to serve the people.

For some, the service cuts will have considerable consequences. For many of us, making a trip out to a community mailbox may be inconvenient, but it’s doable. For others, however, this will become a daily obstacle. Eliminating door-to-door service will put single parents, elderly, and disabled members of our community in an unfavourable position.

Earlier this year my grandfather suffered a stroke. It left him with balance problems and he often needs assistance when walking for long periods of time. As a 91-year-old who lives alone, getting to and from a community mailbox every day will be difficult for him, as he lives in a part of BC that receives heavy snow during the winter. No one should suffer daily worries about how they’re going to receive their mail.

If we are serious about saving door-to-door delivery, we may want to consider alternative solutions.

On top of the inconvenience, an estimated 8,000 postal workers will lose their jobs as a direct result of the service cutbacks. While the digitization of our society certainly impacts the amount of mail being sent, calling the industry ‘dead’ is a massive exaggeration.

In 2012, Canada Post reported $98 million in profit — not bad for a corporation that is slashing services in the name of fiscal responsibility. The Conservative government has hit public services hard in recent years, and this is why we must take a stand if we are to save our valued Crown corporations like Canada Post.

Rather than eliminating services, we need to consider new options. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) recently released a report criticizing the current delivery cutbacks. In the report, researcher John Anderson suggests that reformation of the system would be a better idea than dropping door-to-door delivery entirely.

It remains unclear why Canada Post decided to eliminate instead of innovate, but if we are serious about saving door-to-door delivery, then we may want to consider alternative solutions. As the CCPA suggests, there are other options at hand.

The fact that neither the public nor Parliament were consulted before this decision was made shows that Canada Post is not following through on the promise that they made to Canadians. As the CUPW pushes forth a lawsuit against the Crown corporation, I hope that everyone takes some time to consider those most affected by this cutback. Write to your local MP or to Canada Post if you want to see this decision reversed.

University Briefs

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The Zaraapelta nomadis was discovered in the Gobi Desert in 2000.

New dinosaur named by University of Alberta research team

A new species of ankylosaur, an armored plant-eating dinosaur with a club for a tail, horns, and a distinctive pattern of grooves and bumps behind its eyes, has finally been given a name.

The species was discovered in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia in 2000 by a team of paleontologists lead by Dr. Philip Currie of the University of Alberta, but it was only this week that it was given the name Zaraapelta nomadis.

The name zaraapelta is a combination of Greek and Mongolian words meaning “hedgehog” and “shield.” Nomadis was chosen to honor the Mongolian company Nomadic Expeditions, which has helped paleontologists with evacuations in that region for two decades.

With files from Global News

Fun physical activities can improve children’s learning

A new study by Brendon Gurd, a Queen’s University researcher and professor of kinesiology and health studies, found that four minutes of high-intensity interval exercise can reduce off-task behaviour, such as inattentiveness, in primary school students.

This high-intensity interval exercise, or “FUNterval” as Gurd calls it, was given to Grade 2 and 4 students along with a non-active break on alternative days during instruction. It was only after the “FUNterval” breaks that classroom observers noticed less off-task behaviour.

Gurd believes that the innovative exercise method tested in this study may make it easier and more effective for Ontario teachers to meet the 20 minutes of daily activity that is required for primary school students.

With files from Queen’s Gazette

Saint Mary’s University unveils social media telescope

The Burke-Gaffney Observatory in Nova Scotia’s Saint Mary’s University presented its new telescope last month, which can examine objects 2.5 billion light years away.

The Planewave 0.6 metre CDK24 can also be synced to users’ social media networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, who will be able to move the telescope to an object and take a picture via remote control.

David Lane, the director of the observatory, hopes that this will get young people interested in science, math, and astronomy, and attract future students to the university’s science and math programs.

With files from CTV Atlantic

Senate Report

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Surprisingly, C2D2 is not the cousin of this beloved Star Wars automaton.

C2D2 research initiative comes to life

Senate approved the proposal for the establishment of the Centre for Cell Biology, Development, and Disease (C2D2) as a centre for a five-year term.

The proposal was brought forward by Michael Silverman from the Department of Biological Sciences and Michel Leroux from the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, who offered to initially co-direct the centre.

Although the name may remind you of the automaton from Star Wars, the centre will be geared toward establishing greater cohesion and visibility for researchers whose focus is on cell and developmental mechanisms of human, animal, and plant diseases.

Senate approves MBA certificate in science and technology

Senate approved the creation of a Graduate Certificate in Science & Technology Commercialization based out of the Beedie School of Business.

The certificate will provide knowledge for research scientists during their PhD programs that will enable them to commercialize their work and prepare them to work as agents of commercialization in the industry.

The cohort of roughly 15 to 20 students who will take part in the program will attend class one evening a week at the Segal Graduate School of Business, downtown.

Community awaits verdict after Kinder Morgan pipeline hearings conclude

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SFU professors Lynne Quarmby and Stephen Collis outside the B.C. Supreme Court on Wednesday

Hearings for the trial between Kinder Morgan and Burnaby Mountain protesters concluded Friday night after three days of discussion concerning the presence of said protesters at the proposed pipeline project sites.

Five individuals, including three SFU professors, were named in a court injunction by Kinder Morgan last Thursday. In the injunction, the company demanded that the protesters allow them access to two testing sites on Burnaby Mountain. The protesters had previously set up blockades at the two borehole sites.

The company is also suing these individuals for $5.5 million in direct costs and $88 million in lost revenue for Trans Mountain for each month that the project is delayed.

In response to the injunction, the protesters launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for their court case. The cause raised over $18,000 in one day and reached the $40,000 goal by Wednesday morning.

SFU president Andrew Petter released an official statement on Friday saying that the university itself will not offer any financial or legal support. He explained, “While the university will not interfere with the rights of faculty, staff or students to act upon their deeply held personal beliefs, it is not in a position to ameliorate the financial or legal consequences of such action. Nor would it be appropriate for the university to comment on legal matters that are before the courts.”

He also stated that he will not take an official stance as president of the university concerning Kinder Morgan’s plans for pipeline expansion.

“It would be inappropriate for the institution itself to take positions on policy issues that fall beyond its core institutional mandate,” Petter wrote in the statement. “To do so would lack legitimacy, place a chill on free and open debate, and compromise the university’s ability to act as a credible and neutral defender of the speech rights of others.”

Although the university hasn’t offered official support to its staff named in the suit, over 300 SFU faculty members, staff, and students have signed a letter of support for the professors currently on trial.

The trial between Kinder Morgan and the five individuals commenced last Wednesday and continued through the rest of the week. Both Lynne Quarmby, SFU professor of biochemistry, and Stephen Collis, SFU professor of English, were named in the suit, and spoke publicly outside the BC Supreme Court on Wednesday amidst a large crowd of supportive protesters.

“I don’t think Kinder Morgan wants you to hear what I have to say — and I think that is why they are trying to silence me,” said Quarmby, according to Vancouver Observer.

Quarmby continued, “As a scientist, I say things like it is a scientific fact that climate change is upon us, and it’s going to get worse. It is also a scientific fact that the burning of fossil fuels is a major reason we are in this situation.”

The trial had some entertaining highlights, including the legal team for Kinder Morgan using Collis’ own poetry as evidence against him, and the accusation that the protesters facial expressions of anger towards Trans Mountain workers are “not just intimidation” but “actually assault.”

The allegation quickly sparked online satire, as Twitter users, including Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson, began uploading their own snarling faces under the hashtag, #KMface.

The hearing concluded on Friday afternoon after all arguments were heard. The case has been adjourned until November 17, although the judge stated he may make a decision prior to that date.

Reviews: Dances for a Small Stage, Three Tall Women, The Four Horsemen Project, Hunter Gatherers

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Dances for a Small Stage 31

October 25, Ukranian Centre

Collaborating with Music on Main, Dances for a Small Stage presented an evening that celebrated interdisciplinary work and the intersection of dance and music. Toronto’s Cecilia String Quartet opened the evening and remained onstage throughout, as maestro Billy Marchenski performed his emcee role, inspecting the musicians and moving around the stage with interest as they played.

The first half of the show featured the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky along with four dance pieces. Marchenski’s maestro was first, followed by Makaila Wallace performing Karissa Barry’s choreography. Almost as a fifth member of the quartet, Wallace’s movements had a direct connection to their music. Stewart Iguidez performed a piece inspired by street dance that was very popular with the crowd, and Vanessa Goodman’s piece was a unique interpretation of the music that emphasized its every note.

The second half of the show featured the music of John Oswald and performances by Holly Small, Jessica Runge, Vanessa Goodman, Sean Liang, and Stewart Iguidez. There was also great video footage playing on the backdrop of the stage, including a segment about Glenn Gould, and a video titled “paused on the threshold” that featured clips from many films and TV shows of people about to cross a threshold.

As part of Music on Main’s Modulus Festival, this show was a testament to the importance and benefit of interdisciplinary work, and it took place in the casual welcoming atmosphere of the Ukranian Centre, complete with perogies and a bar.

For more information: movent.ca.

Three Tall Women 1 - CopyThree Tall Women

October 23 to November 9, PAL Studio Theatre

Edward Albee’s The Zoo Story impressed me so much during this year’s Fringe Festival that when I found out Three Tall Women was also written by him, I had to go see it.

I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as Zoo Story, but I could see the similarities in Albee’s style. This play also featured only one setting, and it wasn’t so much a story as an interesting conversation.

The first act was relatively banal with three women (simply referred to as A, B, and C in the program and never referred to by name in the show) in A’s bedroom as B, a lawyer, tries to ask questions about her finances, and C, her nurse, helps her answer the questions. We learn a lot about her history and what led her to this moment, but it isn’t until the second act that things get really interesting.

The second half was much more engaging, as the three women all became A at three different stages of her life. They talked to each other describing what was to come or what they would never become. Representing three stages of a woman’s life and reflecting with each other, many insights about aging, time, and the effect of our decisions on our later life were brought up.

For more information: westerngoldtheatre.org.

Four Horsemen ProjectThe Four Horsemen Project

October 28 to November 2, The Cultch

Inspired by The Four Horsemen, an avant-garde poetry group that was active in Toronto from 1978 to 1988, this show is a tribute to their work and an extension of it. It’s about the power of poetry, its visceral quality, and the way it sounds and feels in your body.

As the group recited poems and said words so many times that they became abstract sounds, it became apparent that the sounds we make have no inherent meaning, but can still make us feel something. For example, Naoko Murakoshi began the show by saying “A drum and a wheel” in many different tones, speeds, and pitches, and then rearranged the letters to rotate through the whole phrase saying “d ruma nda w heela, r uman daw h eelad,” and so on as the words swirled around her on the stage and behind her on the screen.     

There were solo recitations of poetry that seemed to have an orgasmic effect on the performer, and group recitations that turned spoken word into music. The way this group brought poetry to life is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. 

Paying tribute to the original Horsemen, we were treated to video clips of their performances, as well as interviews. There were also very funny clips of a cheesy educational television segment about different forms of poetry. This show manages to combine elements of dance, music, literature, and film and make it come together in a way that increases your respect for and broadens your perspective of poetry. Like they said, “What is a poem is inside of your heart, inside of your body, inside your toes.” 

For more information: thecultch.com.

HG Prod Shot Pippa Mackie Jay Clift Box SmallerHunter Gatherers

October 30 to November 15, Havana Theatre

Any play that reminds me of Yasmina Reza’s Carnage is doing something right. Peter Sinn Nachtreib’s Hunter Gatherers begins similarly, with a calm household gathering that slowly descends into chaos. Pam and Richard invite Wendy and Tom over every year for an anniversary dinner to celebrate the day both couples got married. Their calm, upstanding dinner party gradually descends into an animalistic disaster as secrets and true personalities are revealed.

I first heard about the play when interviewing Pippa Mackie about another of her projects, and she said she had been thrilled to be part of a play with such a good script. I couldn’t agree more that this is an extremely well-written play. Almost every line is punchy and unexpected, and hilarity runs through the entire play as things become increasingly strange.

Pam (Mackie) comes home from buying ingredients for the dinner to find Richard holding a knife and kneeling over a cardboard box containing a lamb. It has to be fresh, he explains. This bloody act sets the tone for what is to follow, and as tensions rise between the four friends, the dining room becomes a war zone.   

Director Ryan Gladstone said before the show that, when describing the play to people, he would tell them “it goes there,” not wanting to give too much away, and I think that this is a good way to put it. This play is not afraid to take things to the extreme to get its point across. It’s bold, bloody, and brilliant.

For more information: staircasetheatre.com.

Big Hero 6 attempts to be everything at once

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Big Hero 6, an animated Disney movie, is one of the most derivative flicks I’ve seen in 2014. It openly plagiarizes from Terminator 2, The Incredibles, Wall-E, The Avengers, and many different animated Japanese serials; the imaginative qualities come not from the introduction of new elements but the appropriation of many different works which fit together into a single coherent vision.

The experimental filmmaker, Harun Farocki, subscribed to this idea when he said, “One need not look for new, as yet unseen images, but one must work with existing ones in such a way that they become new.”

The central storyline, to which the movie devotes most of its time, is about the relationship between Hiro, a child prodigy who innovated “microbots” (mechanical building blocks which can be used to build anything without a construction crew), and Baymax, a healthcare service robot that was created by Hiro’s late brother.

Big Hero 6 is an origin story of a clan of superheros, a standard coming of age tale, a fable on the risks of violence with the innovation of new technologies, a tragedy about a boy’s loss of his parents and later his brother, a clash of good against evil, as evil tries to seek revenge for a past wrong, and a heartfelt look at a blooming friendship between a programmed robot and a pubescent boy.

Among all these plotlines, the story takes time to create a world where criminals gather to fight and bet on fights between little mechanical robots. It’s a monstrous movie that extends itself farther than just the elements in the previous, prodigious sentence.

The film doesn’t care; it is always shooting for the highest emotional affect and the biggest laughs in almost every sequence. Some work, but others don’t. It’s undoubtedly way too much on almost every level, but in the realm of feeble animated children’s films, it can be forgiven for allowing its ambitions to exceed its grasp.

We live in an affluent society where cinema is being mass-produced at a staggering rate; new stories, filmic techniques, and stylistic choices are extremely rare. Big Hero 6 tries to be something different by melding together varying inspirations and stuffing as much into its visual palette and inoffensive storytelling as possible.

If the elements weren’t so well appropriated into the creation of a new world or genre-blending story it would have felt like theft. Instead, Big Hero 6 feels like a gift from a studio that remakes the same princess movies over and over again. You’ve seen everything before, but never assembled in this way.

The Black Keys provide a trascendent experience

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I don’t sing. I don’t dance. To witness either is to be embarrassed for my lack of shame. But at the Black Keys’ show at The Pacific Coliseum I did both.

The Black Keys are one of the bands that drew me to listening to alternative music. I was stoked to see them live but, evidently, my excitement was not felt by the rest of my disinterested section, who sat down for the entire concert and left early.

Me, though, I was entranced from start to finish, as every song was meticulously placed in each set to create an infectiously fast-paced energy before the final quarter of the show slowed things down, creating the equivalent of looking at Turn Blue’s impressionistic hypnotic swirl with musical sounds.

The duo from Akron, Ohio, made up of guitarist/lead singer Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney saved their slower Pink Floyd-inspired songs from their most recent album, “The Weight of Love” and “Turn Blue,” for the very end, while incorporating the two singles “Fever” and “Gotta Get Away” earlier in the show.

The band came out rocking, as they opened with well-known tracks like “Dead and Gone” and “Gold on the Ceiling.” The rest of the show mainly consisted of tracks from their 2010 breakout album Brothers as the Coliseum sang along to popular hits such as “Tighten Up” and “Howlin For You.”

They did still manage to save enough time for a cover to Edwyn Collins’ popular “A Girl Like You,” giving it a typical Black Keys garage rock sound. To brilliantly close the show, the band melded the tone of the beginning and end of the concert with the poignantly slow and electrifyingly rocking “Little Black Submarines”.

At a concert, there are no judgments being cast. If you can’t sing it doesn’t matter — no one can hear you, anyway. If you can’t dance it doesn’t matter — no one’s looking at you because they’re taking in the spectacle of the lights, the energy of the performers, and above all the pleasures of the sounds — just as I was at this intoxicating show.

SFU alumni and students organize fourth TEDxSFU conference

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From wearable technology to making meaningful connections with strangers, talks on varied subjects resonated from the Granville Island Stage on November 1. TEDxSFU, an independently organized TED conference, brought together a diverse group of speakers to share their observations on art, people, life, and everything in between.

The TED conferences started out as invitation-only events in 1984, and were meant as a way to share powerful ideas. After the popularity and prestige of the conferences exploded, the talks were put online in 2006 for free. Currently, the TED Youtube network has posted over 49,000 videos and has attracted over 5.5 million subscribers.

The topics are so incredibly diverse, it’s difficult to describe the experience. In one talk, a speaker demonstrated a water bottle with an incredibly powerful built in filter. In another, the audience learned how to minimize the amount of paper towel needed to dry their hands. The common theme between all each talk? Connecting the audience to ‘ideas worth spreading.’

TEDxSFU is part of the TEDx program of local, self-organized events, independent from the main conference series. This year’s TEDxSFU was the university’s fourth, and was organized entirely by SFU students and alumni. After the event, The Peak had an opportunity to speak with Fran Huang and Jessica Wang, the project leads for TEDxSFU.

They explained that there was something special about attending a TEDx event. “It’s more of a community when you actually attend,” Huang said. Several of the speakers encouraged members of the audience to interact with each other in slightly unconventional ways. In one example, people paired off and told the story of their morning while simultaneously listening to their partner’s story.

Wang explained that when people aren’t actually in the room, “[they] miss out on that energy, and the ability to turn to the person next to them.” The audience was also encouraged to tweet about the event using the tag #RedefineTheNorm, which was this year’s theme.

Wang offered an explanation of what the theme meant to her. “I think what redefine the norm means is that there is no normal. [. . .] and I think it’s really important to make sure that you bring an open mind to everything.”

One of the speakers at the event, Colin Easton, talked about a series of interviews he had been conducting with total strangers. Gathered together as The Stranger Project 2014, he described the life stories of several people he met, and described asking one more question of them than he was comfortable with. By the end, the audience had been introduced to a vibrant cast of people that they never would have otherwise met.

Many of the other talks were in this same vein, revealing a personal story behind the ideas. Wang shared her own perspective on the talks, saying that the cliche ‘never judge a book by its cover’ was well represented. “You never truly know a person until you sit down and you listen.”

The Tandoori Kings of Comedy are coming to Surrey

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“If I stayed on course I would be a lawyer right now. I would be making a lot more money,” laughed Sunee Dhaliwal. Before leaving school to pursue stand up comedy, Dhaliwal spent some time studying criminology at SFU, and the plan was to become a lawyer. “I took one semester off that turned into six years,” he said.

“I always liked comedy. I’d study and watch it as a kid,” said Dhaliwal. While working at Staples, his manager encouraged him to try stand up. He was too shy to email the comedy clubs in Vancouver, so his manager took it upon himself to email, pretending to be Dhaliwal, and signed him up to perform. “He said he’d do it with me, but he never did, and it turned out to be an amazing experience.” That was seven years ago and Dhaliwal has never looked back.

Since that first comedy experience, Dhaliwal has appeared on CTV’s Comedy Now, at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal, and opened for many shows in Vancouver and across the country. Comedians that inspire him include Chris Rock and Dave Chapelle. “I grew up watching Chris Rock and related to him,” he said, “Dave Chapelle is the funniest guy of all time and I don’t know how he comes up with his material.”

For his own material, Dhaliwal takes inspiration from real life situations. If it’s happening in his life and he finds it funny, he’ll use it on stage. Along with his good friend, Hollywood Harv, he’s preparing for his latest show, Stand Up! The Original Tandoori Kings of Comedy. The show is produced by the South Asian Arts Society, but Dhaliwal said “it’s not all going to be south Asian based — I’m not going to cater to one demographic.”

South Asian Arts Society also produced the hugely popular Bollywood Wedding (which I enjoyed immensely) and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Chicken. Tandoori Kings sounds like it will be a hilarious night of comedy from these two rising stars, along with MC Munish Sharma and openers Clifford Prang and Ash Dhawan. The show also features DJ 151 who will be spinning hip-hop, R&B, Bhangra, and Bollywood tunes in between their sets.

Dhaliwal has also recently had success with his sitcom Buddy Guys which was a top 55 finalist in CBC’s Comedy Coup competition. The show features Clifford Prang as Dhaliwal’s best friend who wants to fit in with his family and marry Dhaliwal’s sister. Online voting will determine whether or not they move on to the top 15, and Dhaliwal is hoping they will make it to the top five where the CBC will option the show for development.

Although Dhaliwal left school to do comedy, he advises students to “pursue your dreams, but stay in school.” He may return to school at some point and finish his degree, but probably not anytime soon. “Right now I’m having too much fun.”

Stand Up! The Tandoori Kings of Comedy is presented by South Asian Arts Society November 8 at the Bell Performing Arts Centre. For more information, visit southasianarts.ca.

Student leaders: respond to your emails

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Responding to your emails will benefit your organization's reputation.

Student leaders, it’s October and you have mid-term exams. You receive another email in your inbox that’s already filled with messages, yet you neglect to respond to it. As a club president, an executive member of your club, you’ve potentially neglected a message from a fellow student who’s excited to collaborate with your club, and to provide exciting opportunities and benefits to you and your members. Days turn into weeks, you still haven’t responded to that particular message, and you’ve possibly missed a valuable opportunity.

If you procrastinate or if you don’t just enjoy replying to emails, I hope that, upon reading this, you’ll realize that sometimes replying to emails isn’t such a bad idea after all.

Good email response etiquette may generate good reviews for your group or organization. In the age of Facebook, Twitter and the hundreds — if not thousands — of online discussion groups, blogs, video blogs, podcasts, satellite radios, and the like, we all know that information travels fast. Within a few seconds, millions of people could know that your club is unreliable about replying to emails.

I’m sure that you, a current or budding student leader who may also have entrepreneurial or managerial aspirations, do not desire such a reputation for your current or future organization.

If nothing else, how about responding to show that you are a courteous and well-mannered individual? After all, I don’t think that you’d prefer the person writing the email — one who may introduce you to influential people in your desired industry — to think that you lack business-writing or relationship-building etiquette.

If nothing else, respond to show that you’re a courteous and well-mannered individual.

One’s lack of email response etiquette may occur for a variety of plausible reasons. Though, in light of these reasons, I suggest using a simple pre-programmed response, such as: “Hi, thanks for your email. We are currently busy at this time,” or another response to that extent. You may also consider including a follow up system on your email account, so that your teammates know which emails received or did not receive a response.

Some may say, “Whatever Naomi. This is just a school club. I have enough going on already with school, work and my personal life.” To you, I’d say that you’re correct, and I understand exactly how you feel. However, the executive position you may hold or aspire to hold in your current club is an excellent way to develop your managerial, leadership and communication skills.

Our volunteer, executive roles in student or community organizations will most likely help us to further develop these essential skills for our current and future careers. I’m sure you’ll agree that these notions bear some truth and relevance in today’s ever-tight job market.

With these examples, hopefully I’ve convinced you how important it is to answer your emails. Your relationships and reputation may be at stake, so at least consider the benefits to be gained by responding to these messages within a reasonable time.